An Apollo 11 lunar surface checklist sheet is among the coveted items which have gone under the hammer at a New York City auction of space exploration artefacts.

The checklist, which contained annotations by astronaut Buzz Aldrin while he was on the moon, sold at Bonhams for more than 68,000 dollars (£40,700), well above its pre-sale estimate of up to 45,000 dollars (£27,000)

Other highlights included a 6in cloth emblem depicting an eagle landing on the moon. Bonhams said the Apollo 11 emblem did not travel with the crew during the mission but was signed by Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins. It sold for more than 62,000 dollars (£37,000).

A US flag carried by Aldrin on Apollo 11 fetched 47,500 dollars (£28,400), double its pre-sale estimate, and a Mercury-era spacesuit garnered more than 43,000 dollars (£25,700), over five times its estimate.